New Music Friday: The top 6 albums out on Jan. 21
Emo rapper iann dior's sophomore full-length, on to better things, tops this week's shortlist for the best albums out on Jan. 21. Joseph Morrison/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
After blowing up on Soundcloud, emo rapper and singer iann dior is making a run at world domination with a seamless, genre-blurring mix of guitar rock, pop and rap. His sophomore full-length, on to better things, includes collaborations with Travis Barker, Lil Uzi Vert and more. We spin the record on this week's show and talk about dior's often melancholy but ultimately hopeful reflections on mental health, youth and identity.
We've also got a heavy-hitter from rapper Che Noir, a gorgeous, transportive album from pianist Simone Dinnerstein, singer-songwriter Jana Horn and more. NPR Music's Ann Powers joins contributor Christina Lee, WXPN's John Morrison and NPR's Tom Huizenga, along with host Robin Hilton, as they share their picks for the best albums out on Jan. 21.
Featured Albums:
- iann dior — on to better things
Featured Songs: "V12" and "hopeless romantic" - Che Noir — Food For Thought
Featured Song: "Communion" - Simone Dinnerstein — Undersong
Featured Songs: Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No. 3" and Philip Glass' "Mad Rush" - Aoife O'Donovan — Age of Apathy
Featured Song: "Sister Starling" - Jana Horn — Optimism
Featured Song: "Optimism" - Tanya Tagaq — Tongues
Featured Songs: "Earth Monster" and "Colonizer"
Other notable releases for Jan. 21:
Aurora - The Gods We Can Touch
Boris — W
Boy Harsher — The Runner (Original Soundtrack)
Jake Xerxes Fussell — Good and Green Again
Janis Ian — The Light at the End of the Line
Pedro the Lion — Havasu
Young T & Bugsey — Truth Be Told